Thursday, September 9, 2010

Canon 4K Concept Camera

One of the most interesting things was the Canon 4k concept camera and 4k monitor! It’s only 2/3rd inch but it’s still interesting and a sign of where they are going? I must emphasise this camera will never come out. It’s a concept camera showing the technology. Are they planning to take on RED? No idea but it will be interesting to see where this path will take us…it’s no Epic that is for sure…which is real and being tested out in the field…how long though before Canon bring something like this out for real? Ideally for me in an APS-C minimum sized chip but I talk more about this further down the post. The 4K monitor was great as you can imagine, 32″ and sharp as hell. It’s one of those things of course that you need to see in person…

I was actually the first one in...

I REALLY like the XF 105. It’s tiny and has amazing specs. 422 50mbs hd sdi and genlock. The XF 100 is the same but without the SDI/ Genlock. Both record onto CF cards. I guess it is a direct competitor to the JVC 100. Size wise it looks identical, almost…but spec wise it is simply really impressive. It’s the first camcorder in recent memory that I have actually wanted. It has all the facial tracking auto focus that the Vixia has but in a much much better cameras.

XF 105 3D rig

As you can see, it's tiny.

This is the Canon 4K concept camera.It was actually working and was crisp as hell…This concept camera had a fixed 2/3″ 20x Zoom lens as the chip itself is 2/3″. I am not sure what the idea of it is, they mentioned something about medical something or other. It’s obviously not a cinema concept camera due to the fixed lens. The image out of it was actually really really nice. As I have said and I and am sure you all want to, is to see an APS-C chip in camera like this and use all the current Canon glass or PL lenses…but Canon have a different marketing strategy to someone like RED. RED announce their road map and make it very public. Canon keep things close to their chest. If there is a cinema camera coming out or a new improved DSLR for video there is no way they would show a concept camera of it and show the competition what they have up their sleeve. Canon do not give much away and of course that is probably from a business stand point the best thing to do. That is why this camera really is to show what they are capable of more than anything, not what they plan to do…I would put money down that we won’t know until pretty close to release of any big developments with regards to video in DSLR or the next evolution of that.

There was also no word of any firmware or other lenses, they were all announced last week. I expect the much rumoured and much expected 1DSmkiV will make it’s debut at Photokina in Cologne later this month. I will be watching this very closely as it MAY have improved video functions, again, pure speculation but I can be positive and hope can’t i?